"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. Its the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T', but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper, 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." ~unknown~

Sierra

Sierra

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Saturday, 09/08/12 Green Mountain PR from Chautauqua

4.02 miles/2,500 vert./58:55 (37:54 up)/avg. HR 174

For 4 or 5 years, I have thought it would be a worthy goal to try to RT Green from Chautauqua in under an hour. Putting various splits together from separate runs, I felt it was theoretically possible, but over the course of multiple attempts over the years by various routes, I was never able to do much better than 1:00:3? (or maybe it was 1:01?, I would have to go dredge for the exact previous PR).

For some reason, I just felt confident that I could do it today, despite not really "training" or hardly even running since July and especially not much since Pikes. My legs just felt good though, well rested if nothing else.

I did an unusual (for me) mile warm up, then started up through Chautauqua toward the 1st/2nd Flatiron trail, up through to the 1st saddle, to the NE ridge and up Greenman. I was fuzzy on my previous best splits on this route, but was almost positive that I would have to be 37 something or better at the summit to have a chance and arrived there in 37:54, turned around and started down Greenman/NE/Saddle/Amphi which I felt would be the quickest way back down for me.

I pushed pretty hard the entire time, but it felt really good and controlled. My feet felt quite accurate on the descent and I was moving well, though not going too crazy, just quick cruising really. I knew it would be close, so leaving nothing to chance, I sprinted across Chautauqua, HR topping out at 186 bpm. By the end, I knew I would break an hour, but did not let off the gas at all in hopes that I could sneak in under 59 and came sliding in at 58:55.

This was one of those runs where I just felt great the entire time and was just overwhelmed with that runner's high, leaving me pumped up for the rest of the day.